‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy resurfaces, Virginia style

Hours after the dust settled in the halls of Congress over a contentious fight to repeal the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy that prevented gays from serving openly in the U.S. military, the issue has resurfaced anew on a new battleground: Virginia.

State Del. Bob Marshall (R-western Loudoun and Prince William) announced that he is drafting state legislation “barring active homosexuals” from Virginia’s National Guard units, even as President Obama signed the repeal of the policy into law Dec. 22 at the White House.

Marshall, one of Virginia’s most activist – and controversial - lawmakers on social and legal policies, acted almost immediately after both the U.S. House and Senate voted in large majorities to rescind a 17-year policy of disallowing gays and lesbians from serving in the U.S. armed forces. Virginia’s National Guard units operate independently of Federal control and are supervised by state governors.

“With the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ President Obama seeks to pay back his homosexual political supporters,” Marshall said in a statement. “This policy will weaken military recruitment and retention, and will increase pressure for a military draft,” and he alleged that Congress was “conducting a social experiment with our troops and our national security.”

The conservative state lawmaker said he will file legislation when the General Assembly convenes for its 2011 session to “ensure that the effect of the 1994 federal law banning active homosexuals from America’s military forces will apply to the Virginia National Guard.”

Marshall said that Article 1, Section 8, Clause 16 of the Constitution gives Virginia the ability to adapt the ban because it states: “reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline proscribed by Congress.”

The National Guard units operated by states are the modern-day equivalent of the militias that date to Colonial times.

But Marshall’s nascent efforts hit a giant roadblock in the form of the administration of Gov. Bob McDonnell, a fellow Republican, on Dec. 20.

Tucker Martin, McDonnell’s spokesperson, said in a statement: “The Governor…knows it is critically important that there be one set of rules for all our men and women in the military, since uniformity of major policy across all branches is essential to effective operations. We are not aware of a single instance in recent history where the Virginia National Guard has not complied with the policies and procedures of the Department of Defense…In his role as Commander in Chief of the Virginia National Guard, Governor McDonnell expects the Guard to adhere to the final guidelines implemented by the Department of Defense.”

Given McDonnell’s opposition, Marshall’s chances for success become even more questionable in the House of Delegates, despite its GOP control. With control of the state Senate in the hands of Democrats, passage is even less likely.

One Loudoun lawmaker, state Del. Thomas “Tag” Greason (R-eastern Loudoun), echoed McDonnell’s concerns over having a uniform military code governing U.S. armed forces and states’ National Guard units. He told the Times-Mirror Dec. 22 he would oppose Marshall’s bill.

“I don’t believe we should have two separate standards for our military…one for our National Force and one for the Commonwealth,” Greason said in a statement Dec. 22. “If the individual is capable and meets the physical and mental requirements to do their job in an exceptional way, he or she should be allowed to serve, regardless of their gender, race or sexual orientation…No groups should be discriminated against.”

Greason’s position is noteworthy as he is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and also served in the Army as well as the Virginia National Guard.

State Sen. Mark Herring (D-eastern Loudoun and western Fairfax), who is the co-chairman of the Virginia General Assembly’s National Guard Caucus, issued a broadside against Marshall’s effort on Dec. 20.

“The era of discrimination in our Armed Forces has come to an end,” Herring stated. “It is unfortunate that Delegate Marshall continues to try to prevent patriotic Virginians from serving their country and their commonwealth.”

“The citizens of Loudoun County and all Virginia deserve better from their representatives. It is time for Delegate Marshall, and those who would support discrimination in our National Guard, to move on and focus instead on other difficult challenges facing our commonwealth,” added Herring.

Both the ACLU of Virginia and Equality Virginia – a gay-rights organization – attacked Marshall’s plan.

The ACLU threatened an immediate legal challenge if the bill were to be adopted by the General Assembly, calling the proposal “unconstitutional.” The ACLU cited several instances in recent case law where federal courts have struck down “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and the group said the policy was weak on “equal protection and due process grounds.”

Claire Gastanaga, legislative counsel for Equality of Virginia, challenged Marshall’s assertion that the state legislature could impose a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on National Guard units, mirroring one of McDonnell’s arguments against the proposal.

“The National Guard is a federal military unit which is subject to the same rules as other federal military units,” Gastanaga said in a statement Dec. 20. “Any state statute seeking to set different standards for the Virginia National Guard would be a nullity with no effect.”

Equality Virginia also took a sharp aim at Marshall.

“It is a shame that Delegate Marshall would dishonor the brave men and women serving in our National Guard by seeking to make political points at their expense and waste the time of his colleagues in the Virginia General Assembly who have pressing matters to attend to like balancing the budget and finding solutions to traffic problems that are the real and present concern of his constituents.”

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy has received widespread scrutiny at the federal level in recent months as Congress considered its repeal.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates – a Republican appointee from the administration of President George W. Bush - has advocated against it. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, four of the five military commanders of the branches of the U.S. armed forces stated their belief that the policy should immediately or eventually be repealed.

In the vote on the Senate floor, eight Republican U.S. Senators – conservatives and moderates – voted to rescind the measure. Both Virginia Senators, Jim Webb and Mark Warner – Democrats – sided with the majority favoring repeal.

Wow, Ashburn Man and Concerned Citizen! You have been saying these things about Herring under so many different names and in so many unrelated stories. I am surprised to hear that you think you just learned it. Maybe you have a short memory. Or maybe Herring, who is a good family man, spurned your advances. . .

Or maybe the LTM should do you a favor and cut you off - your obsessiveness is wearing out everybody including Republicans who want to have some real debate/discussion.

This gives a whole new meaning to the Marines slogan “We’re looking for a few good men”....Indeed. Also, I didn’t realize Herring was in bed with the gay community like he is…I guess like most politicians, he’ll do anything for some votes.

Let’s just face it, we have people who choose to hate, they are just unhappy people, who choose to be ignorant, and find rasons to hate someone, and judge out of ignorance. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, GOD knows how and why people are the way they are, and that includes those who hate. I honestly don’t think people choose to be gay, so let’s let GOD be the judge here. Let’s all just get along, gay people are not out to harm straight people, I’m sure.

PMvanhellslinger [Wed, Dec 22 at 01:35] needs to read more literature. Homoerotic themes were present in poetry and other literature written by some Muslims from the medieval period onwards and which celebrated love between men. In fact these were more common than expressions of attraction to women.[Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, MacMillan, 2004]

LTM—- You need articles that discuss the Redskins. There is significant stress that needs an outlet for release concerning the Redskins.

Mike Shanahan needs to step up and be an honorable man concerning Donovan McNabb. Donovan deserves better than the treatment is now receiving given his long and successful NFL career. The Redskins should release him. Keeping him is only punishment that is undeserved!

Can someone on here assure me that not one of us has never been aqauinted with someone who is secretly bi, or gay?? I doubt it, it’s only if, and when you find out, that some people seem to freak out over the situation. People who have issues with human sexuality, most often are insecure within themselves in some way or another, this is a fact.

Mr. Marshall, I have one question for you. In the event of an emergency, will YOU refuse medical attention from a gay EMS responder, a gay firefighter, a gay physician in an ER or will YOU demand that they be upstanding heterosexual bigots like yourself?

The LTM encourages lively and focused, topical and relevant discussion on this comment area. But we are not going to tolerate comment spam and reprinting of biographies and copy that states exactly (or roughly) the same thing again and again. If necessary, we WILL block IP addresses so individual commentators are prohibited from posting on this or *any other* story on our site. Please take heed of this warning. We will not only apply our Terms of Service, but we will also take the liberty - as is our right - to remove other material that is clogging this space and detracting from a constructive and lively discussion where everyone has a chance to express his or her viewpoint. Thank you.

How bout you be Wendell next time? I absolutely love it when you are Wendell. But then I love it when you are Black is a Hero too. Well, Herring Leftist works too. It’s like having three or four guys stand up for me all at once. POWERFUL!

Dick Black is an american hero. He selflessly risks life and limb when mailing out plastic fetuses. Dick braved going out on our terrifying highways so as to go out and look for fetuses.

Dick heroically risked his eyesight for his people. He viewed pornographic images on public computors for days and days so we wouldn’t have to.

Dick is a hero. I feel the need to tell the world (and the readers of LTM) even though this article has nary a mention of him or the political opponent he wishes to unseat (so Dick can continue defending us mere mortals.

Business leaders smack Black
Not one to let facts get in the way of a good sound bite, Dick Black stated during the October 12 debate that he supports tax cuts because of an impending economic downturn. When times are bad,

@George and Virginia and Mandy and Jennifer and Wendell and Menifee and Megan and on and on and on. You are one compulsive liar - all of you. Why would anyone believe you when you constantly lie - why you don’t even know who you are what with all the name changes. Go find yourself.

Not one to let facts get in the way of a good sound bite, Dick Black stated during the October 12 debate that he supports tax cuts because of an impending economic downturn. When times are bad, “people need to keep more of their money”, the argument went. Except that Black continues to make the opposite argument to justify his vigorous obstruction of last year’s budget reform: The revenue wasn’t needed because the economy was growing so fast. Which is it, Dick?

Leadership for Virginia apparently values logical consistency as well as effectiveness, because they just made a second contribution to Black’s opponent. The Republican-led political action committee isn’t generally in the business of supporting Democrats, but this is a special case.

“Dick Black does not have a record of accomplishment,” said Leadership for Virginia co-chair James W. Hazel. “He likes to get headlines, but he doesn’t get things done for Loudoun County. His ineffectiveness has been a frustration to me and many other moderate Republicans.”

@Virginia: thanks for the synopsis. Understand that you do have a bit of a credibility problem. If you constantly lie about political opponents as you do, you will also lie about your political heroes.

Now for the endorsements of Patricia Phillips during the last go round:

Endorsements:

Former Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling

“I am pleased to endorse Patricia Phillips for the Virginia State Senate. Patricia is a commonsense conservative, and she will work with me to build a better Virginia. Patricia shares my belief that we must work together to provide our children with the best possible educational opportunities, keep our neighborhoods safe from the threat of crime, and address other important issues like transportation and health care. I encourage you to give Patricia Phillips your support, and your vote on November 6th.”

As Attorney General: Now Governor Bob McDonnell

“We need Patricia Phillips in the Virginia Senate. A longtime friend of mine, Patricia has been a consistent partner in the fight to advance our shared principles. Her many years as a conservative activist, strong moral character and tireless work in the community make her well-qualified to represent the citizens of the 33rd Senate District. The citizens of Loudoun and Fairfax need a senator who shares their values, understands their concerns and who will get them results. I look forward to campaigning with Patricia this fall and working with her when she is elected this November. I strongly endorse Patricia Phillips for the State Senate.”

Congressman Frank Wolf

“The people in the 33rd District need a new voice in Richmond and Patricia Phillips is without question the right person for the job. She is lifelong resident of Northern Virginia and knows first hand the problems that we face on an everyday basis. Her ideas for solving our transportation problems are impressive and we would be well served to have her in the State Senate.”

Former Governor Jim Gilmore

“On the key issues of concern to Northern Virginians—transportation, education, public safety and taxes—Patricia Phillips is a leader. She is courageous, determined and effective and she will make a great State Senator! I hope you will join me in supporting her.”

In addition to awarding Dick Black failing Business Ratings (52% in 2004, 62% in 2003), the Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education in 2004 rated Black a 49% for his effectiveness in office. The purpose for the Effectiveness Rating is to determine, in the informed opinion of nearly 100 leading business lobbyists, how effective each legislator is in accomplishing his or her legislative objectives - without regard to the legislator’s position on business issues.

Mark Herring has a 100% voting record for his support of lesbian, bisexual, homosexual and transgender causes. He received a perfect rating for his voting record from a leftist group known as Equality Virginia which supports lesbian, bisexual and homosexual activities in school and adoption policies. (See project Vote Smart at http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=50846 )

The concept of “Equal Rights For All” supports the repeal of the unconstitutional law of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell”. H O W E V E R,
COMBAT TROOPS WILL ULTIMATELY MURDER THEIR OWN COMPATRIOTS AS FRIENDLY FIRE CASUALTIES WHEN THE TROOPS LEARN OF A GAY IN THE FOX HOLE.
The implementation of this repeal has not been properly addressed and those who will suffer most are the gay troops in combat who innocently believe that they have equal rights in the military.They win the battle for equal rights, but they lose far more.
http://sosbeevfbi.com/geralsosbeearmyf.html
geral sosbee

In spite of an overwhelming rebuke by the courts, Dick Black continued to insist that his internet filtering policy was constitutional, portraying First Amendment advocates as “proponents of pornography”. In a letter to the editor (Eastern Loudoun Times, August 27, 1998), he claimed that his opponents wished to “compel our government to disseminate their vile images of rape, bestiality, and obscenity through our public schools and libraries.”

Unable to demonstrate this to be true of any actual library patrons or free speech advocates, Dick Black did it himself. In order to illustrate his view that adults should be treated like children, he accessed illegal material (showing the “most extreme sexual violence imaginable”) on a public library computer and walked away, leaving the material in view of library patrons. A librarian had to order him to close the site.

As part of the current Loudoun County public library internet policy, adult patrons who choose unfiltered access are required to sign an “acceptable use” agreement, stating that they will not access illegal material. Although Black signed this agreement, he may be the only patron known to have violated it.

A majority of Library Board of Trustees issued a statement in response to Black’s internet porn stunt. The statement in part said that the trustees are

“. . deeply saddened that Delegate Richard Black has demonstrated an irresponsible lack of concern for the very public he purports to protect by using a Loudoun County Library Internet terminal to access a site, selected solely for its shock value, as part of a staged media event . .

. . It is ironic that Black, a delegate of the Virginia House campaigning for re-election, has taken the very action he warns we can expect from predators intent on harming library staff, women, and children.”

In February 2003, Dick Black earned a “thumbs down” from the Loudoun Times-Mirror for sending each of his colleagues in the Senate a pink plastic replica of a fetus, along with a note containing graphic descriptions of abortion procedures and urging votes against reproductive freedom: “[Black] offended many in both parties by enclosing a small plastic fetus. Such showmanship may go well with backers, but it leads to poor representation for his constituents when he seeks support from legislative colleagues on other issues.” According to the Washington Post, Republican leaders are concerned that the stunt and the focus on abortion bills has given an impression of the party as consumed by this single issue.

Black described the plastic fetus as a “little Barbie doll baby”, and said that he gives them out to people all the time at his office. Other legislators didn’t quite see it that way. Senate Minority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said it was one of the most inappropriate things he has seen in his 23 years in the Senate, House Speaker William Howell (R-Stafford) said it was “a bad idea”, and even fellow ultra conservative Delegate Bob Marshall remarked that Dick Black was making him look moderate. Black went “way beyond the realm of acceptable behavior for the General Assembly,” said Kenneth Stolle (R-Virginia Beach). “There will be an effort to try to send a message that there’s certain norms of behavior up here and he crossed the line.”

One Senator’s legislative aide, who was still mourning a recent miscarriage, had the experience, thanks to Dick Black, of having the “doll baby” fall into her lap as she opened the mail.

“The deeply conservative delegate, PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR DISTRIBUTING PLASTIC FETUS MODELS TO FELLOW LAWMAKERS PREPARING TO VOTE ON ABORTION ISSUES, was defeated in 2005 after serving seven years in the General Assembly.”

To read how out of step and radically left Mark Herring is, do not trust me or anyone, just log on to http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=50846 and see his 100% rating and voting record from Equality Virginia, a leftist group that agitates for things like lesbian marriage, lesbian adoption, and the inclusion of gay counseling in elementary classroom settings.

Mark Herring has a 100% voting record for his support of lesbian, gay and homosexual causes. He should be ashamed of himself. People are losing their jobs. What are his priorities?

Ahhh, Laura W! You continue to outdo yourself as the Queen of Anonymous Name-Changing Liars. Now you are even thanking your many thread names. What a genius you are! Let’s see, there’s Wendell in Leesburg, Jill Nelson, Dr. B, Menifee, in addition to Laura W just in this thread. All, in all you’ve been maybe twenty different Herring-obsessed rightwing wing nuts today. What’s a matter - can’t find enough nuts to write for themselves?

One thing is for sure, there is nothing better than government gettin’ into people’s private personal relationships for bringin’ out the

“We must never remain silent in the face of bigotry. We must condemn those who seek to divide us. In all quarters and at all times, we must teach tolerance and denounce racism, anti-Semitism, and all ethnic or religious bigotry wherever they exist as unacceptable evils. We have no place for haters in America—none, whatsoever.” —RONALD REAGAN

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Senator Herring has always been a champion for Gay and Lesbian Rights. He has a 100% rating for these issues, according to Project Vote Smart:
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=50846

Equality Loudoun gave Mark Herring voted 100% of the time with homosexual rights. No surprise he will continue his work in this direction. Equality Loudoun is the group that protested college students at Patrick Henry College.

Mark Herring voted for AND against gay marriage so he could say he was on whatever side you’re on. This article should not be a surprise to anyone.

Are they kidding? The government wants to study if the repeal of DADT will hurt our troops. Now there is one billion Muslims in the world. We have all seen the TV specials on Muslims throughout the world, millions of them living in jungles, deserts, and hills that cannot read past the Koran. It will be like greasing pork to convince them that American soldiers are all homosexual perverts, after all it is mainstream news. The Imams will be able to O.K. making war against us so much easier knowing all American soldiers are homosexuals, and that

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